Technique Raises Hope For Easing Ongoing Debate on Stem Cell Use
In a surprising advance that sidesteps the ethical debates surrounding stem cell biology, researchers have come much closer to a major goal of regenerative medicine, the conversion of a patient's cells into specialized tissues that might replace those lost to disease.
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Bucking a ritual for Republican presidential candidates, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Sen. John McCain announced Wednesday that they would not participate in what has been a significant early test of candidate strength, the straw poll in Ames, Iowa, this August.
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Applying a new genomic technique to a large group of patients, researchers in Britain have detected DNA variations that underlie seven common diseases, discovering unexpected links between them.
Senate Signals Support For Provisions Of a Comprehensive Immigration Bill
The Senate signaled support for major provisions of a comprehensive immigration bill on Wednesday by rejecting many proposed amendments, including one that would have made it much harder for many illegal immigrants to achieve legal status.
Al-Qaida Calls Hunt For Three Abducted U.S. Soldiers Useless
The search for three missing American soldiers abducted after an attack south of Baghdad continued Monday as the al-Qaida group that claimed responsibility for the ambush said the soldiers would never be found.
Cooler Weather on the Horizon
The past weekend's pleasant weather won't last for too much longer. A local high pressure system is keeping our skies clear for today, but will be swept offshore later in the afternoon. It will be replaced by a broad cold front, accompanied by strong storms. The front will reach us by tomorrow morning; as the boundary passes Boston, expect temperatures to plummet.
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday that while Russia and the United States were going through a period of uneasy relations, the problems fell far short of those of the Cold War and that the two countries continued to cooperate in a number of important areas.
Iran Is Enriching Uranium on Large Scale, Inspectors Say
Inspectors for the International Atomic Energy Agency have concluded that Iran appears to have solved most of its technological problems and is beginning to enrich uranium on a far larger scale than before, according to the agency's top officials.
World Bank Comm. Finds That Wolfowitz Violated Ethics, Rules
A World Bank committee charged on Monday that Paul D. Wolfowitz violated ethical and governance rules as bank president by showing favoritism to his companion in 2005. In response, the Bush administration mounted a last-ditch global campaign to save Wolfowitz from being ousted from office. On a day of rapid developments that intensified the furor over Wolfowitz at the bank, in the Bush administration, and at government ministries around the world, the special committee that has investigated his conduct in the last month issued a scathing set of conclusions that seemed certain to hasten a decision on Wolfowitz's fate.
Bush Orders Review of Auto Fuel Efficiency For New Automobiles
President Bush announced Monday that he had directed his administration to begin the long process of establishing higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars.
Palestinian Interior Minister Resigns Monday, Unable to Control Factions
The Palestinian interior minister, Hani al-Qawasmeh, resigned Monday, and four more Palestinians were killed in fierce factional gun battles.
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The Japanese Parliament passed a bill on Monday calling for a national referendum on amendments to the country's pacifist constitution.
Secretary of State Rice Supports Embattled World Bank President
Bowing to pressure from the Bush administration, the World Bank board agreed Wednesday to give Paul D. Wolfowitz, the bank’s president, slightly more time to defend himself against charges of misconduct before the board decides his future.
Prosecutor Firings Justified, Gonzales Tells House Comm.
House Democrats pressed Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at a hearing on Thursday to provide specifics about why federal prosecutors were dismissed, but he stuck to his past assertions that, although ineptly handled, the dismissals were justified and appropriate.
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The death toll of civilians killed in bombing by foreign forces on Tuesday night was much higher than the official figure of 21, and may be as high as 50 or even 80, residents reached by telephone said Thursday.
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As the House approved a plan on Thursday to finance the Iraq war only through midsummer, President Bush offered his first public concession to try to resolve the impasse on war spending, acknowledging rising pressure from his own party and the public.
Cooler Weekend Ahead
Unstable air associated with a cold front to the west will give us a chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm today. Temperatures will remain unseasonably warm for one last day, as part of our mini-heat wave of this past week. As the high pressure over central Canada moves to our southwest, the associated clockwise circulation will bring in cooler air from the north. This will bring the weekend’s high temperatures back to the mid-60s, which is more normal for this time of year. The good news is that the friendly high pressure will bring sunny conditions Saturday through Monday, continuing the dry pattern we have been in for the past two weeks.
House Republicans Lobby Bush To Act Against Sudan Violence
In the latest attempt to exert pressure on Sudan over the killing in the Darfur region, a group of conservative-to-moderate Republicans in Congress demanded Thursday that President Bush impose sanctions against the government for its failure to rein in the violence.
Blair Announces Plans to Leave Post as Prime Minister in June
After months of coy hints and fevered speculation, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Thursday that he would leave office on June 27 after a decade in power in which he sacrificed his popularity to the war in Iraq and struggled at home to improve schools, policing and hospitals.